Power supplies have long been employed to provide power to electronic devices. For example, most electronic devices require some type of power adaptor arrangement to transform household voltages (e.g., 110 V or 220 V) to the voltage level(s) suitable for charging the batteries and/or operating the electronic components.
As power adaptor design evolves, the design has become more user-friendly over time. Most power adaptors nowadays enclose the power electronics and/or electrical circuitry in a power adaptor housing. The power electronics and/or electrical circuitry within the power adaptor housing performs the voltage/current transformation tasks to provide the suitable voltage levels for device operation. These voltages/currents are then provided to the electronic device (e.g., a laptop computer or a digital audio/video player) via flexible electrical conductors. The flexible electrical conductors are coupled to pins of a connector plug that is configured to be mated with a corresponding socket in the electronic device.
This arrangement substantially minimizes the impact on the portability of the electronic device while power is plugged in. For example, a laptop user may continue to move the laptop computer around while being plugged in with relative ease since the laptop is connected to a flexible conductor cable and the bulk of the power electronics of the power adaptor is advantageously disposed further away from the laptop (e.g., on the floor).
Power adaptors have also evolved to the point where management circuitry is provided to monitor the operation of the power electronics and to respond if changing, dangerous and/or undesirable operating conditions exist. For example, the management circuitry of some power adaptors may allow the adaptor to cease providing power to the electronic device if the power adaptor overheats, for example.
As users demand more and more sophistication from their electronic devices and accessories, management circuitries and techniques for power supplies continue to improve. This patent application relates to novel and innovative arrangements and techniques for managing power supplies.